Skirt-supporter



NOMOM J. E. LBAVITT.

SKIRT SUPPORTER.

mi omas News co. Pnomufym.. WASHINGTON. D.

Unire` 'raTns PATENT runen.

JOHN E. LEAVITT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SKIRT-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 492,406, dated February28, 1893.

Application filed November 19, 1892. Serial No. 452,476. (No model.)

To all whom' it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. LEAvITT, of Boston, county of Suffolk, andState of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inSkirt-Supporters, of which the following description, in connection withthe accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on thedrawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to a combination shoulder brace, bust, waist andskirt supporter designed to be worn by ladies, and has for its object toprovide a simple and efficient article for the purposes specied.

In accordance with my invention, two shoulder straps adapted to passover the shoulders of the wearer, have firmly secured' to their frontand back portions, a bust supporting band, and a waist supporting band,preferably connected together at one end bya cross or tie bandpreferably stiffened by whale-bone or other suitable material. The frontand back portions of each shoulder strap are joined together by crossstraps preferably adjustably connected together by a buckle of any usualconstruction. The back portions of the shoulder straps are provided withelastics preferably adjustable, and which are for the best results,located between the bust and waist bands. The back portions of theshoulder straps may be and preferably are extended below the waist bandand provided with suitable devices to which the rear or back of theskirt of the wearer may be fastened. The front portions of the shoulderstraps have rmly secured to them preferably two short straps providedwith fastening devices to which the front of the skirt is secured. Thetwo short straps referred to, are secured to the front portion of theshoulder strap preferably at about an angle of forty-five degrees to theshoulder strap, the two short straps being at a right angle to eachother, so that, the strain from the front of the skirt is divided ordistributed. l

Another feature of my present invention consists in providing the frontportion of each shoulder strap above the bust supporting band with a padon its inner side to prevent the strap cutting into the shoulder of thewearer.

The particular features in which my invention consists will be pointedout in theclaims at the end of this specification.

The drawing is a back or rear view of a combination shoulder brace,bust, waist and skirt supporter embodying my invention, the same beingshown as laid out dat to enable its construction to be more clearlycomprehended.

The shoulder braces A A', are composed, for the best results, ofnon-elastic material, and each consists of a front strap a and a rear orback strap a preferably forming a continuation of the front strap. Thefront and back straps of the shoulder brace A are joined by a band a2firmly secured to the said straps as by stitches as, and the front andback straps of the shoulder brace A are joined by a band d4 firmlysecured to them by stitches a5. The bands a2 a4 may consist of a singlepiece, but I prefer to make the same in two pieces capable of being adjustably united, the band a2 being hereinshown as provided with a bucklea which is adapted to be engaged by the end of the band a4, the latterbeing extended beyond the back strap a of the brace A.

The shoulder straps A A have secured to them below and substantiallynear the arm bands a2 a4, a bust supporting band b,which, in practice,is made of sufficient length to encircle the body of a lady below butnear the bust.

The Vbust supporting band b is, in accordance with my invention,firmlysecured to the front and back straps of the shoulderfbraces A A as bystitches b2 which are preferably made in the form of a square, as shown,to obtain a strong connection between the bust band and the shoulderbraces. may and preferably will be provided at one end with a buckle b3.

The front straps a, of the shoulder braces have rmlysecured to them ator near their lower ends, a band b5, which is securely attached to thestraps a, as by stitches hl, and which serves the purpose of supportingthe waist of the wearer.

The back straps d of the shoulder braces AA are provided with elasticsbl, preferably made so as to permit the same to be lengthened andshortened. Each elastic la7, as hereu inshown, has one end fastened tothe waist The band b ICO band as by stitches b9 and the said elastic isthen passed through a sliding buckle b9 of any usual or Well-knownconstruction, and also through an eye or link b1@ secured to the upperportion of the back strap a', the elastic 57, after passing through theeye or link Z910, being secured to a bar, not shown, of the ,slidingbuckle b9.

The waist band b5 preferably has sewed or otherwise secured to it, astrap Z112 which practically forms a continuation of the back strap aand the strap Z312 is preferably provided with a suitable fasteningdevice D13 to engage the back of the skirt of the wearer, the saidfastening device being hereinshown as a hook, but which may be of anyother desired form.

The front straps a ofA the shoulder braces have firmly secured to them,as by stitches c, preferably two substantially short straps or piecescc2,whicl1, for the best results, are secured to the front strap abovethe waist band b5 and preferably at right angles to each other, thestraps c czbeing provided, as hereinshown, with fastening devices shownas hooks c3 to engage the front of the skirt. The waistband b5 isprovided, as hereinshown,with a buckle c4, and in order to form asubstantially firm yet yielding support for the central underside orportion of the bust, the waist band b5 and the bust supporting band bare connected together near one end by a cross band CZ preferably madeof two strips or layers to form one or more pockets in which areinserted one or more Whalebones or other suitable supporting pieces vorstays CZ represented in the drawing by dotted lines.

The front straps a ot' the shoulder braces have secured to them as bystitches cl2, pads d3, preferably pieces of chamois and an interposedlayer of cotton, the said pads being, for the best results, made widerthan the front straps a and are secured thereto above the bustsupporting band to prevent the said straps from cutting into the frontof the shoulder of the wearer and thereby, obviating the painful effectswhich would otherwise arise and especially when the back straps a2 a4are tightened or adjusted up to straighten or hold back the shouldersofthe wearer.

In operation the arms of the wearer are inserted through the openingsformed by the upper part of the shoulder braces and the back straps a2a4, and the bust supporting band b, and waist band b5 are buckled aroundthe body of the wearer. The front of the skirt is secured to thefastening devices attached to the straps c c2 and the back of the skirtto the fastening devices attached to the straps bw. When thus fitted onthe wearer, the back straps a2 a4 may be buckled together and theshoulders of the wearer may thus be thrown back or straightened up asdesired.

By firmly securing thebust supportingband b to the front and back strapsof the shoulder braces, the said band is prevented from slipping downaway from the bust and is held in correct operative position.Furthermore,

the said bust supporting band is prevented from working around the body.So also, the waist band is maintained in correct working position andprevented from working around the body, by being firmly secured to theshoulder braces.

The elastic portions t7 of the back straps of the shoulder braces,permit the body of the wearer to be bent forward without lifting theback of the skirt. front straps c c2 to the front straps a of theshoulder braces, rather than to the waistband b5, the skirt is supportedfrom the shoulders, and the waist of the wearer is thus relieved of theweight of the skirt. .By means of the two straps c c?, the strap a ofthe shoulder brace is prevented from slipping over the shoulder by theskirt working around the body, as the strain upon the two straps c c2tends to keep the front strap a substantially perpendicular and the pullupon the same is downward in a substantially straight line from theshoulders.

I prefer to construct the supporter as hereinshown, but it is evidentthat some features may be used to advantage with supporters as nowcommonly constructed, as for instance,

the cross strap d may be omitted but I prefer to use the same.Furthermore, a single strap may be used instead of the two straps c c2but the result would not be so good.

I claiml. In a combination shoulder brace and supporter, the combinationof the following instrumentalities viZz-t-wo shoulder braces, a bustsupporting band firmly secured against movement to the said shoulderbraces and constructed to pass under the bust of the wearer, a waistband also secured to the shoulder braces, elastics bl forming part ofthe shoulder braces and means for attachment to the back of the garment,substantially as described.

2. In a combination shoulder brace and su pporter, the combination ofthe following instrumentalities, vizz-two shoulder braces, a bustsupportingband firmly secured against movement to the said shoulderbraces, a waist band also secured to the shoulder braces, and elastics127 forming part of the shoulder braces means for attachment to the backof the garment, and a cross strap d connecting the bust supporting bandand the waist band, substantially as described.

3. In a combination shoulder brace and supporter, the combination of thefollowing instrumentalities, vizz-two shoulder braces, a bust supportingband firmly secured against movement to the said shoulder braces, awaist band also secured to the shoulder braces, and elastics 57 formingpart of the shoulder braces means for attachment to the back of thegarment, and straps c c2 secured to the front straps of the shoulderbraces above the waist band, substantially as described.

4. In a combination shoulder brace and supporter, the combination of thefollowing instrumentalities, viz:-two shoulder braces,

So also, by securing the f1 IOO IIO

IIS

each consisting of front and back straps, a bust supporting band rmlysecured against movement to the front straps of the shoulder braces andconstructed to pass under the bust of the wearer, pads secured to theinner side of the front straps above the bust supporting band, a Waistband also tirmly secured to the shoulder braces against movement,elastics forming part of the back straps of the shoulder braces, andmeans for attachment to the back of the garment, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a combination shoulder brace and supporter, the combination of thefollowing instrumentalities, vizz--tWo shoulder braces A A consisting offront and back straps a, a', an arm strap a2 firmly secured to thestraps a a of the braces A, an arm strap a4 firmly secured to the strapsa a of the brace A and adapted to be adjustably secured to the arm strapa2, a bust supporting band b firmly secured to the front and back strapsof the shoulder braces, elastics 57 secured to the bust sup-` portingband, and devices to attach a skirt or other garment to the back andfront straps of the shoulder braces, substantially as described.

In testimony Whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN E. LEAVITT.

Witnesses:

JAs. 1H. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY.

